]]>While the battle between Champions and Contenders is playing out on the islands of Fiji, here on Inside Survivor, an even bigger showdown is taking place. That’s right, Aussie Power Rankings are back, as Fenella McGowan, Tess O’Halloran and Martin Holmes compete for the Inside Survivor Power Rankings crown!

This season of Australian Survivor Power Rankings has been all about the dominance of Tess. The Aussie Survivor veteran has been at the top of the rankings every single week—and Round 7 was no different. It would take a small miracle for Fenella or Martin to topple Tess as we head into the final round. But it’s not impossible… it would just mean Tess getting every placement wrong and the others getting everything right.

FINALE RULES

The finale works a little bit differently. The rankers will rank the four finalists in order of placement, and they will gain 3 points for every correct placement. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the Australian Survivor Power Rankings Champion.

If you have trouble viewing the rankings try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

]]>http://insidesurvivor.com/power-rankings/australian-survivor-2019-power-rankings-round-8/feed0Shaun Hampson Exit Interview: “I Want Whoever Is Left At The End To Have Earned The Title”http://insidesurvivor.com/australian-survivor-shaun-hampson-exit-interview-39966
http://insidesurvivor.com/australian-survivor-shaun-hampson-exit-interview-39966#respondWed, 11 Sep 2019 13:57:42 +0000http://insidesurvivor.com/?p=39966Inside Survivor catches up with Shaun Hampson...

]]>Former AFL player Shaun Hampson was a force to be reckoned with on this season of Australian Survivor. He was even affectionately nicknamed “The Horse” by his fellow tribemates due to his impressive challenge dominance. However, his physical prowess only made him that much bigger of a target come the merge, and with the Contenders down in numbers, he found himself becoming the first member of the jury.

Inside Survivor’s Austin Smith caught up with Shaun a couple of weeks ago (the email got lost in the shuffle, hence the late post!) to chat about his time on the island, his rivalry with David, that fake idol, and what he’s looking for in a winner.

1) Shaun, thanks for taking a minute to chat with us about your game! First of all, you mentioned this season that you’d seen nearly every episode of the show—how long have you been following Survivor, and why did you decide to give it a go yourself this season? How did it compare to your expectations?

Yes, I’ve been a fan of the show since I was 12 years old when the first season came out. It became a bit of a ritual. Mum and I would watch every season together until I moved down to Melbourne for football, but my love for the show has carried on and I recently re-watched almost every season before going out there. The game more than met my expectations. It was so much harder and so much more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

2) Your last day in the game was an unconventional one, with the evening Immunity challenge and very little time before Tribal. Do you feel like these external factors influenced your elimination? Would you have been able to change the outcome with more time between the challenge and the vote?

Yes, I think I would’ve had a much better chance getting people on board to vote for Luke if I had a few hours back at camp instead of 30 minutes around bonfires. Speaking to Janine post-game, she let me know that when we left the bonfires, the plan was Luke, but she had a last-minute change of mind as she thought everything was too rushed. If there is one positive to take out of it, I’m happy that I went home in a dramatic and unique circumstance!

3) You proposed a savvy plan to target a social threat in Luke, can you elaborate on why you chose to target him? Was it just the six players we saw who were in on your plan, or was there more we didn’t see?

Yeah, I think it was a really logical idea to try and get rid of Luke; he IS a huge social and strategic threat, and [I] thought it was my only chance of walking out of Tribal with my flame still lit. Luke and Dave were by far the most dangerous, crafty players in the game. I couldn’t put Dave’s name out as he won Immunity, so Luke was the next best thing. Pretty much everybody was on board, except for Luke and Dave, right up until Janine turned the tide at Tribal.

4) In your final words, you mentioned that you thought Janine swayed the vote back onto you at Tribal Council, abandoning your plan to vote out Luke. In hindsight, do you still feel like that’s how it played out, and do you think you could have done anything differently to keep your plan on the tracks?

Yeah, I’m convinced that is how it played out. [Janine] really did single-handedly turn the tide at Tribal. I think the only thing I could’ve done more was put more time in with Janine in the days leading up to that Tribal as I had a good relationship with her, but I just didn’t nurture it enough.

5) Going back to the merge vote, you were reluctant to give up Contender numbers and urged Daisy to use her Idol on Andy to take out David. Why didn’t this plan come to fruition?

I really thought it was important that we didn’t give up a numbers advantage. I feel it’s so important at merge to have the majority. It just gives you so many more options and puts you on the offence as opposed to the defence. Unfortunately, Daisy and Andy’s relationship was understandably quite strained at this point, and if it was anybody else, I feel like she would’ve played the idol for them.

6) Your partnership with Daisy was rock solid all the way through the game, even though she ultimately wrote your name down at your last Tribal. What drew you to working so closely with her in the game? At the swap, were you surprised that she’d flipped to work with Luke and David against the old Contenders?

Daisy seemed very straight to me. She’s from a very remote farm, and I’ve known a few guys who have grown up in similar circumstances to her, and they are always very trustworthy and hard working. She definitely did the right thing for herself by putting my name down at Tribal as it became clear that we didn’t have the numbers to do Luke.

[At the swap] I was so shocked when I saw that Sam had gone and soon realised that Daisy and John must’ve struck a deal with Luke and Dave. Daisy and Sam never had the best relationship, and there was talk early on of them gunning for each other, so I can understand why Daisy wanted to get rid of her. But I strongly believe it should’ve been at least one of the two Champion boys to go first.

7) On the other hand, your rivalry with David lasted almost as long! Once you discovered the Idol was a fake, did you consider trying to move past it and work together, or were your purely out to take him down? And did you really wait several days to unwrap the Idol to check it was real?

Yes, unfortunately, it was quite a while between swapping the idol and me having a look at it. It felt like the real thing wrapped up so [I] didn’t want to risk being seen checking it out. I did consider working with Dave when I got stolen to the Champions. I had a chat with him on the beach and brought up the idol swap, my hope was that he would come clean about the whole thing, but he never did, and that’s when I decided he couldn’t be trusted.

8) You were the only player to get to experience both sides of the tribe swap due to your kidnapping at the twist Tribal Council. Firstly, how did you feel about being stolen over to the New Champions? How would you compare the dynamics between the two tribes?

I was ecstatic at the time. I was building good relationships with the old Champions but regardless knew it was only a matter of time until I was voted out. It was definitely more relaxed and fun on Champions beach and on Contenders it was a bit more serious and businesslike. The old Champions did not want to talk strategy with us old Contenders at all.

9) Your reputation as “The Horse” and a physical threat grew throughout the game—do you think there was anything you could have done to avoid or mitigate that target?

No, I don’t think so. I suppose the only thing I could’ve done was hold back in challenges a bit, but I wasn’t out there to hold back. I wanted to play a big and bold game and have a good resume when I was sitting in the final two. Unfortunately, I do believe the game is a little flawed in that rarely does somebody who stands out in challenges make it to the end.

10) Finally, as the first member of the Jury, how did you feel about the players remaining in the game at the point of your departure? What were you hoping to see play out next, and what qualities were you hoping you’d get to vote for in a winner?

I think it is an exceptionally strong merge tribe, full of some extremely good players. I want to see big, bold moves made. If you are on the bottom of your alliance, do something about it, change the game in your favour. I want whoever is left at the end to have earned the title of Sole Survivor by outwitting and outplaying, not by just outlasting, as we often see.

I think we may have just witnessed one of the best moves in Survivor history. While I’ll show some restraint and not make any binding proclamations until we see how the aftermath of this insane Tribal Council plays out, even if Luke still falls short of the win, this has to be one of the most flawlessly executed moves we’ve ever seen. And the best part of it was that it was strategically sound without abandoning any of Luke’s patented flair for the dramatic.

A HISTORY LESSON

The 2-1-1 plurality vote has been a white whale for years in the US, never eventuating in any iteration through its 38 seasons and seemingly doomed to stay that way given the removal of the Final Four vote in favour of an automatic fire-making challenge since Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. And yet, as if in response to the eradication of this vote, international Survivor opened the floodgates on this elusive strategy last year.

NOTE: If you’re averse to spoilers from 2018’s Australian, New Zealand and South African Survivor seasons, skip ahead to the next bold heading.

The first-ever 2-1-1 vote occurred in Survivor New Zealand: Thailand. With the Final 3 looming, a 3-1 majority were set to eliminate Tess Fahey—at least, until she won the Final Immunity Challenge. This put tentative allies Dave Lipanovic and Lisa Stanger in the hot seat, with one of them destined to fall just short of the Final Tribal. However, Tara Thorowgood, the last of the trio and an assumed FTC goat, had promised not to vote for Dave and was reluctant to send Lisa home. Thus, the majority found their own loophole, with Tara volunteering to be voted out to allow her allies to both make the Final 3. So with Tess believing the women were all voting for Dave, Tara fell on her sword and threw away her vote at Lisa to allow Dave & Lisa to cast their votes on Tara to mutually assure themselves a Final 3 and blindside Tess in the process. 2-1-1.

But while New Zealand may have boasted the first-ever 2-1-1, the circumstances were so unique that it didn’t necessarily feel like an honest-to-Survivor-gods 2-1-1. The math worked out, and the strategic loophole to allow the majority to still pull one over on their singular adversary remained impressive, but it required a player to voluntarily resign to being voted out. Thus, a true 2-1-1 vote still felt like it evaded us.

But hot on New Zealand’s heels came Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders. In the penultimate episode, we saw a familiar 3-1 situation where, once again, the outsider, Brian Lake, emerged victorious at the Immunity Challenge. The majority—the newly forged “Shh Alliance” of Shane Gould, Sharn Coombes and Shonee Fairfax—would be forced to break apart as quickly as they’d come together. Brian pushed for his sworn adversary Sharn, but Shane & Sharn were in it together and saw the opportunity to force a fire-making tie-breaker by throwing their votes onto Shonee, allowing Sharn to easily beat Shonee in a contest of survival skills. But Shonee realised she was a dead woman walking and decided to make a hail Mary plea to Sharn to work together and instead vote out Shane as a Jury threat. But when it came to the vote, with Brian voting against Sharn and Shonee taking her final shot at Shane, Sharn ultimately sided with her Champion ally Shane to send Shonee home. 2-1-1.

This 2-1-1 was a strategic gamble on Shonee’s part—a slim chance of swaying Sharn’s vote versus an almost assured defeat against her in fire—and though it ultimately failed for Shonee, it revealed the beautiful complexity of this strategy through the position Sharn found herself as a kingmaker. Shonee’s decision to split her vote to a 1-1-1 against the non-immune players meant that Sharn was the decision-maker. Obviously not able to vote for herself, it made her the decisive swing vote able to choose who would make it to the Final 3, and as it turned out, who would then sit next to her at the FTC. It was a move rife with intrigue, and yet given the 2-1-1 was effectively orchestrated by the player who went home and not the kingmaker, it felt like the move hadn’t fully matured into its potential.

So what would be its full potential? Why it would be the coordination of a 1-1-1 vote by a player such that they would be the deciding vote; effectively, if Sharn had been the one to instigate the aforementioned 2-1-1 instead of Shonee. We got close to that scenario over in Survivor South Africa: Philippines, where the season’s dominant strategist Werner Joubert presented a plan to construct a circular firing squad between Annalize Sainsbury, Jeanne Michel, and Tom Swartz, putting him in the position to cast the deciding 2-1-1 vote to ensure his security. Unfortunately, for Werner, his opponents conspired to turn the tables against him before his plan made it off the ground. Nevertheless, it showed what a 2-1-1 vote could do…

…and it’s exactly what Luke pulled out of the hat tonight.

SEEDS OF A PLAN

Somehow, Luke managed to convince his three fellow tribemates to vote for each other, 1-1-1. Pia voted Abbey, Abbey voted Harry, Harry voted Pia. That left Luke in absolute control of the vote, allowing him to execute a total blindside against Abbey. It’s the kind of move that required absolute finesse and an improbably accurate anticipation of his competitors’ actions to work effectively, and yet he made it happen. And in the moment of Tribal Council, no less!

Luke recognised that he was the biggest threat on the board—socially, strategically, physically, he was perceived as someone impossible to beat in the Final 2. So even though he’d helped marshal a counter-alliance with Harry, Baden, and Abbey to take out Simon & Janine and leave Pia for easy pickings, his new allies were just as quickly turning against him. But after nearly dropping his chance at safety with some reckless high-stepping, he managed to secure his safety by scoring his fourth Immunity win (equalling the Australian record set by Brian and Sharn last year). He was in the Final Four, but how would he get further?

The easiest option would be to hope for the Immunity Run. He could stick to the easy vote against Pia and then hope he could beat out Abbey, Harry, and Baden in the final two challenges. But if he lost? There would be absolutely no way that he would make it through that vote unscathed—those three were targeting him now, and their voracity would only increase the closer they got to Day 50. But a new opportunity presented itself in Pia, now a lone wolf after losing her closest ally, Janine.

Pia herself played this round perfectly, sizing up her competition and angling for the best possible options. It’s easy to forget that Luke and Pia were Day 1 allies, but their connection was still active and proved critical to their mutual survival to the next stage of the game. Pia appealed to Luke as being someone disinterested in coming after him, certainly in comparison to Abbey, Baden, and Harry, and Luke saw the value in working with the lesser of two evils. Now we at home know that Pia would have no hesitation in voting Luke out to preserve herself, and should he lose Immunity next week, I would bet that Pia will put his name to parchment. And Luke is a savvy enough player to recognise that Pia would be foolish to go to the end with him. But someone 99% intent on voting you out is still better than someone deadest 100% against you.

There was another upside to teaming up with Pia when it came to Luke’s endgame strategy. Pia might have been the only other castaway remaining with an Immunity win to her name, but across the board, Abbey was a much more significant danger due to her versatile skill-set. Even with Pia on board, Luke’s best chance at the title remained an Immunity run, and he would need to improve his chances, so removing Abbey from the equation was a perfect solution. And so the plan was hatched: he and Pia would put their votes on Abbey.

But what about the others? Now there’s one thing that this 2-1-1 vote has that the historical precedence lacks, and that’s that this 2-1-1 occurred at the Final 5. The first hurdle to Luke and Pia flipping the game on Abbey was that there was a numbers deficit, down 2 against 3.

Enter the Tribal Nullifier.

NO TRIBAL FOR YOU

I’m honestly shocked that we’ve not seen this particular advantage in the catalogue of curious and wondrous artifacts to grace modern Survivor in recent years. It’s so elegant, and though Survivor has included twists that skirt the edges of it, it’s never looked quite like this. Obviously, Hidden Immunity Idols have been a part of the show’s DNA for almost 15 years at this point, ensuring a player in possession of one the ability to secure their safety from a vote. Survivor has also flirted with players not being able to vote: Lee Carseldine blocking Sam Webb from voting in the first season of Australian Survivor, Devon Pinto’s infamous “this is not an advantage” moment in HvHvH, the Vote Steal debuting in Cambodia or the No Vote booby prizes debuting on Ghost Island.

This also isn’t the first time players have missed out on the whole Tribal experience, either, imbuing them with implicit Immunity but preventing them from casting a vote. The early Ghost Island visits and the oft-used tribe swap mechanic of sending a player to Exile until after the next Tribal, where they’ll replace the castaway just voted out, have provided Immunity in the past. A similar conceit to the Tribal Nullifier appeared at the merge in this year’s South African season, Island of Secrets, where the Immunity winner would banish a player to the titular island and miss the merge Tribal—but also all of the strategizing before Tribal, allowing their absence to be accounted for in the planning for the vote.

However, for the first time, this all comes together in a pretty stellar package with the Tribal Nullifier, designed to be played in the moment at Tribal with the spectacle of many other Idols and Advantages and opening the door to upset the applecart. I really love this advantage, and would really like to see it again, particularly if it were to show up earlier in the game so that the bearer has more opportunities to make use of it because, simply put, there are so many ways this advantage can play out.

Of course, it could be used simply for its value as Immunity; if Luke had lost the challenge tonight, he undoubtedly would have saved himself with the advantage. It could be used to shield an ally or better yet, stonewall a majority Three Amigos-style; if Luke had used the advantage on Pia, he would have secured the safety of his new ally and forced Abbey, Baden and Harry to turn against each other. It could be used to undermine a majority—imagine if this advantage had been what Daisy found instead of her Idols? Instead of the Idol roulette that took out John, she could have sent one of the Champions back to camp to even the numbers at 4-4 and perhaps induce a tie or a flip from a Champion eager to avoid rocks. Or better yet, it could have given the Contenders the majority at the 6-6 merge vote, changing the course of the entire game. And think of the disastrous misplays that could happen with something like this, like sending the wrong person back to camp and unintentionally foiling your own or even someone else’s plan.

But those are just the obvious permutations. And then you get the 3D chess that Luke used it for tonight. I was flabbergasted when he suggested he would use it on Baden, as it seemed like such a slam dunk to protect Pia with it, sending her back to camp and forcing the other three to cannibalise themselves. Yet there was a method to his madness, and it’s pretty incredible once you break it down.

Baden hasn’t been playing a bad game, but he has been playing a quiet one. It’s a tried and true tactic for Australian Survivorwhen you look at our past Sole Survivors, but up against the more competitive field in the current endgame, he seems like the least likely to pull out a win. Even Pia, who’s taken a similarly quiet tactic, has been seen to be more actively strategic, and with Janine stumping for her “smiling assassin” game, she’ll have the leg up when it comes to the under-the-radar story. But a big part of Baden’s success has been his relationship withLuke since their time on the New Champions beach. Even though he’s clearly reached the point where he’s ready to turn coat, he still has that personal bond with Luke. And while Baden had his shining star moments as a “Challenge Beast” throughout the season, he’s yet to clinch a win.

So for Luke, Baden is almost as valuable as Pia when it comes to protecting him in the game ahead, perhaps even more so, given his lesser odds at winning. Baden’s less of a threat in challenges, but even if he were to win one, say at the Final Immunity Challenge against Luke and Pia, there’s a non-zero chance that Baden, recognising he might lose either way, might take the approach of giving his closer ally the win. I don’t want to discredit Baden entirely (Australian Survivor’s first season reminds us to never entirely count someone out), but the point remains that Baden is a useful asset for Luke moving forward, so granting him the Immunity of the advantage is beneficial.

But what is more important is what it leaves behind—the far more intense players in Abbey and Harry and conflicting narratives. On the surface, the move can be read many ways. It could maintain Luke’s loyalty to the alliance of four by leaving Pia vulnerable and just looking like a showy move by Crazy Ol’ Luke to burn his advantage. Or it could look like a reunion of the Champion majority ganging up against a more defenceless Harry. The best part, however, is that it didn’t have to hint at the actual plan to blindside Abbey; a benefit that would not have been afforded if Luke had blatantly protected Pia by using the advantage on her.

It’s convoluted to the nth degree, but that’s just Luke’s way of playing the game. He emanates fun in the way he approaches Survivor, but that joy for the game and any possible hijinks is woven into his ambition to still make the most of his opportunity to chase the victory. His creative use of this advantage tonight could not be a more perfect example of this beautiful medley of a Survivor game.

KING OF THE JUNGLE

So with Baden heading back to camp in a state of confusion, Luke was able to thoroughly conduct Tribal Council. He quickly filled Pia in on the plan with a whisper that immediately sparked the concern of Harry and Abbey, wondering why he was talking to the enemy. Even with Baden gone, they still had the numbers to take her out, right? Pia earlier made the observation that Abbey is prone to paranoia, noting the importance of not triggering her before Tribal, but here, Luke made the apparently intentional effort to stoke Abbey’s fear by leaving her out of the whispering.

He let Abbey stew in her confusion for just long enough until he crossed the floor to whisper to her too. We didn’t hear what he said to her, but given her ultimate vote and the earlier conversation of the Champions at the well, it’s pretty apparent that he gave Abbey the indication that he was forcing the Champions’ hand to vote out Harry—a threat in his own right. It was a reasonable explanation, just logical enough that it would sate Abbey’s paranoia and convince her to go along with the plan.

Harry, too, unwittingly played the part perfectly. On the surface, it certainly didn’t look great for his chances. The only other Contender was off back at camp and the Champions sitting in front of him were all whispering to each other but not to him (aside from Pia’s fantastic joke whisper). There’s not really another scenario that made obvious sense, and naturally, Harry began slipping into his scrappy underdog role but with a more defeated tone than when he’d had Idols or other Contender targets to shield him. But his only hope was for it to all be a distraction on Luke’s part and for the plan to remain the same.

Thus, Luke’s play effortlessly utilised his knowledge and experience to predict how his fellow castaways would react to the bombshell. Pia would get the logic in his explanation and understand how the plan benefited their earlier discussion, Abbey would grow paranoid but then latch on to the Harry plan with the right nudge, and Harry, left in the cold, would assume the worst, lending further credence to the lie sold to Abbey. If Luke’s reads had been wrong—and particularly if he’d misjudged Abbey’s reaction to vote Harry—the vote could have resulted in a 2-2 tie, a likely fire-making challenge and the potential for Pia to go home, even after all the fanfare. But Luke knew what he was doing, and it was an absolute masterclass.

Now, I can’t dock Abbey or Harry for the way they reacted to Luke’s bombshell. Neither had any reason to suspect a 2-1-1 against Abbey, and both played as best they could give the adrenaline rush of a seemingly live Tribal. For Harry, sticking to the plan was his best bet—what would going rogue to throw a vote at Abbey accomplish, aside from randomising an already unexpected Tribal further or undermining himself if Abbey stuck by him?

For Abbey, too, she had little reason to doubt Luke. He was instrumental in bringing her over to work with Harry and Baden in the first place, and she flipped from the Athletes Seven in part because of her interest in teaming up with him. She might have been gunning for him, but he’d shown no sign of reciprocating that. And with the tableau looking like an obvious vote against Harry, it made sense to pile on the numbers. Perhaps you could argue that she should have stuck with voting Pia to pre-empt any funny business, at worst leading to fire between Harry and Pia, but when one of the people you’ve known the longest in the game has produced a secret twist and is then giving you a privileged whisper of the plan, I can understand why Abbey chose to fall in line.

That said, Abbey played a pretty remarkable, if underrated, game. Arguably, the two of biggest moves in the game were solely at her discretion in her flips against the Athletes and Simon & Janine. Following her flips, she integrated herself well into her new alliance, ultimately leapfrogging pre-existing players like David when she teamed up with the women and Luke as she plotted with Baden & Harry. The most recent move was set to put her in a position where, aside from Luke, she was a favourite to win out at Immunity. Her game certainly wasn’t perfect, and her emotions guided her along the way, but when push came to shove, she was willing to get her hands dirty and play a surprisingly aggressive game. And ultimately, if she were to go out, this was one hell of a way to do it.

THE 2-1-1 WE DESERVE

This dissertation on Luke’s move nears its end, and at this point, it goes without saying: this was one of the most impressively innovative plays I’ve seen in Survivor. In one fell swoop, Luke demonstrated his skills in the physical game (through his record-tying Immunity win), the strategic game (through his domination of the vote with a secret advantage for good measure) and the social game (through his use of personal bonds and impressive reads to manoeuvre his plan into place). He was already the odds-on favourite to win out at the end, but this historic vote cemented it.

And this is a historic vote! It might be the third 2-1-1 we’ve seen, but it’s the first 2-1-1 to blindside its target. With so few numbers in play, that is an awe-inspiring feat. And we’ve still got two more episodes to go!

This Final Four is no slouch and is arguably the most ambitiously strategic Final Four we’ve seen in Australian Survivor, and I can’t wait to see how it all comes to an end next week. And even if it doesn’t reach the heights of tonight’s incredible gameplay, I think it’s safe to say that Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders II will go down in the history books as one of the most exciting seasons of Survivor gameplay to date.

]]>http://insidesurvivor.com/australian-survivor-2019-episode-22-recap-two-one-one-39941/feed1Everything We Know About The Island of the Idols Twist So Farhttp://insidesurvivor.com/everything-we-know-about-the-island-of-the-idols-twist-so-far-39915
http://insidesurvivor.com/everything-we-know-about-the-island-of-the-idols-twist-so-far-39915#commentsMon, 09 Sep 2019 19:55:49 +0000http://insidesurvivor.com/?p=39915A catch-all guide to Survivor's Island of the Idols twist.

]]>Unless you’ve been sleeping under a giant statue-head-sized rock, you probably know by now that “Boston” Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine are appearing on the upcoming 39th season: Island of the Idols. However, the Survivor veterans are not in Fiji to play the game, but instead to act as “mentors” for the 20 brand new castaways. But what does that mean exactly?

Thankfully, with the season 39 cast officially announced, and the pre-season press underway, we’ve learned further details into the inner-workings of the new twist and what kind of role Rob and Sandra will play. Host and executive producer Jeff Probst spoke to outlets such as Parade and The Hollywood Reporter to shed some light on the latest Survivor twist.

Below is a helpful, catch-all guide that will hopefully give us all a clearer idea of what we’re in store for this season.

Rob and Sandra Will Stay On Their Own Island

As previously stated, Rob and Sandra will not be living at camp with the castaways but on a separate island—populated by comically large busts of their own faces. They won’t be playing the game or attending Tribal Council, but they will be living off the land, and according to Probst, this was something the former champions requested.

“One of the first things they both said is, ‘If we do this, we want to walk the walk. It gives us the permission to talk the talk,'” the host told Parade’s Mike Bloom. “They were adamant about building their own shelter and surviving out there.”

Castaways Will Be Kept In the Dark About Island of the Idols Twist

Survivor almost always begins with Jeff Probst greeting the castaways and introducing the theme of the season. Things are a little different this time around. The two tribes will not see the familiar blue shirt and dimples as they’re marooned on their respective beaches with no instructions. All they’ll have in the way of a welcome is their Island of the Idols branded buffs.

“We wanted to do a misdirect. Hopefully, the misdirect will be when the players get to their beaches, and I’m not there to greet them,” Probst explained. “All they have to go on is the name of the season. We’re hoping that they think hidden immunity idols are in play in a big way. We’re thinking they think it has to do with these tangible advantages in the game.”

A player will only learn of Rob and Sandra’s involvement if they’re sent to the Island of the Idols (or if another player shares the secret).

There Are Various Methods To Get To the Island of the Idols

When it comes to island-based twists, such as Exile and Ghost Island, the person sent there is often selected from the tribe that lost a challenge, and according to Parade, that is how the first visitor to IOI will be decided. However, that won’t always be the case.

“We’re trying to change the device of people getting to the island,” executive producer Matt Van Wagenen said. “So we’re not boxed in and we can keep the contestants guessing. There’s been so much Survivor and precedent that people tend to make predictions. And for a while, they were correct. We go out of our way to keep them on their toes.”

Rob and Sandra Will ‘Test’ Castaways At the Island of the Idols

While Rob and Sandra are described as “mentors,” they’re not just there to dish out advice. The Survivor legends will also offer IOI visitors the chance to gain advantages—this requires a player to put their newly learned Survivor knowledge to the test.

“In the first episode, Rob is going to teach the person how to make fire,” Probst told The Hollywood Reporter’s Josh Wigler. “Before [the person] leaves, Rob will say, ‘Now you have a chance to test how well you learned the lesson. If you can beat me in a fire-making challenge, you can go back to camp with a Hidden Immunity Idol good for one or two Tribal Councils. If you lose to me, you lose your vote at the first Tribal Council.'”

It’s up to the player whether they feel confident to take on the test or not. However, if they say no, Rob and Sandra have the power to negotiate. For example, Rob could make the Idol valid for an extra Tribal Council or choose to give the player a 30-second head-start in the fire-making challenge. “We’ve given Rob and Sandra room to maneuver; they know how far they can negotiate,” said Probst.

The tests won’t always be one-on-one challenges against the mentors; the tests and the advantages will change throughout the season. “Sometimes it will be very basic,” Van Wagenen told Parade. “But other times, people will not even realize that the test has begun. It’s like boiling a frog slowly.”

Probst described a potential test involving a player having to insert themselves into a specific part of a tribal Immunity Challenge. “What you’re testing there is your ability to persuade. You have to go back to your tribe now and convince them to put you in the hero spot when you might not be the obvious choice. It’s this multi-layered thinking.”

The Origin of the Twist

The idea for the Island of the Idols twist was spawned on a leisurely walk back from a challenge rehearsal last year. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross, Van Wagenen recalled how Probst brought up this concept of a Survivor Mount Rushmore. “And that was just the idea of faces on a mountain, I think was how things started. [Probst] had it cooking in his mind for a while.”

Probst also admitted to THR that the twist was a way to bring back Rob, who had previously said he would never play Survivor again. “In thinking about [season 40] and who we want back, we also came up with our list of people who said they’d never play again and Boston Rob was one of those players,” explained Probst. “So how could we get him to come back? What if we made him an idol?”

Ironically, Rob WILL be playing the game again in season 40’s all-winners season, alongside Sandra; whether this was decided before season 39 remains a mystery. What we do know is that both Rob and Sandra were very involved in the mechanics of the Island of the Idols.

“We’re bringing on two people almost as producers,” said Probst. “We asked them, ‘Why don’t you write down a list of lessons you think Survivor players should know?’ Then we took those and decided which ones we wanted to put in the show.”

Survivor: Island of the Idols premieres on CBS on September 25th at 8 pm EST.

As always, readers select a team of four castaways who they think will perform well on Survivor: Island of the Idols. Each participant then earns points throughout the season based on how the four castaways in their Dream Tribe perform. At the end of the season, the top three points getters win Survivor BUFFS courtesy of PlanetGearCompany!

Below is a recap of the rules and prizes. Once you’ve gone over the requirements, get selecting your tribe! Good luck!

THE RULES

One entry per person.

Each person must select a Dream Tribe consisting of four different castaways. If you select the same castaway twice or more your entry will be disqualified.

You will gain points based on the performance and actions of your chosen four castaways throughout the season.

You cannot change your Dream Tribe once selected.

Must include full name and email address on entry. This is only so we can contact prize winners. You will not be contacted for any other reason.

Entries close at midnight (EST) Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

After the season premiere, a spreadsheet of everyone’s Dream Tribes will be posted here on Inside Survivor with the updated scores.

THE POINT SYSTEM

50 points – if one of your Dream Tribe wins the season.

25 points – if one of your Dream Tribe finishes as runner-up.

20 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that make the merge.

15 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that finds/gains an idol.

15 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that finds/gains a game advantage.

10 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that survive a Tribal Council.

10 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that wins immunity or reward (tribal and individual).

5 points – for each of your Dream Tribe that receives more than five confessionals in an episode.

WINNER

There will be three prize winners: 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place.

The winner will be the person at the end of the season with the most points.

If multiple users tie for the most points, the winner(s) will be chosen by random draw out of those eligible.

The winners will be revealed after the season on Inside Survivor and will be contacted for prize details (so make sure you provide the correct email address).

]]>Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the end game; 43 long days have passed, and 18 castaways have been whittled away to leave six left fighting for the crown. The happy, smiling group masks the fierce battle of flipping allegiances, hushed water hole chats, and the never-ending walks down the beach. If you’d asked me who the top six would be at the merge, I’m not sure this is the group I would pick.

The episode opens with several monologues from castaways about their time in the game and their motivation to win. Pia, who incidentally is having an island birthday, misses her family but uses her longing for them to fuel her fire. King Luke is also thinking about his family while he blitzes challenges and bonds with his fellow castaways. Janine is glad she has surprised people by going on Survivor and is determined to follow her business-based strategy all the way to Final Tribal.

In my mind, both Luke and Janine carry such big targets that I was amazed they even got to the merge, let alone the end game. Janine has been pinpointed as the “Godmother” since the pre-merge. And Luke has to be one of the most likeable castaways to ever play the game (all franchises included), and he brought a more strategic mindset this season which is giving him an edge over the other competitors.

Harry aka “Dirty Harry” aka “the cockroach” has more confessionals than he does successful game moves. A self-confessed fan of the show, for all Harry’s great ideas, he hasn’t been able to execute many moves to add to his Survivor resume. While it’s true Harry has been a focal point throughout the season, his moves tend to go awry, leaving himself and his allies in a more awkward position than they were in before. His best moves seem to be complete mistakes (like sending his allies to do his dirty work and getting them into hot water for doing so).

You’ve got to give Harry credit for never giving up despite his recurrent failures—he even deems Simon’s boot a success (despite it really being Luke and Abbey’s move). Having taken one Champ out, Harry wants to take out another. Early in the episode, Harry gets the wheels turning on voting out Luke. He knows that Janine is A) crucial to being able to get Luke out and B) not going to trust a word that comes out of his mouth. In the same way he accidentally sent Casey to her death way back on day 24, Harry sends Baden into the fray to try and recruit Janine, while Luke, Abbey, and Pia are out fishing. Baden seems to get Janine on side and even scores a few Godmother tips about how to handle Luke.

As all good Survivor fans know, whenever a target and plan is set before the challenge, then whoever wins Immunity is sure to ruin it. The challenge is a rainbow spectacular of ropes and puzzles, and the almighty King of the Jungle rises once again. Although he struggles to get his puzzle together, Luke wins the challenge and (unbeknownst to him) safety that he desperately needed. The game is shaken up again. It soon becomes apparent that Abbey and Luke are the swing votes in this situation.

Somehow, in the way the game has panned out, three pairs are remaining. Janine and Pia have been best buds from the beginning. Harry has seen several of his allies go after he played idols on himself and the only one remaining is Baden. Luke and Abbey, both previously attached to other duos and trios, are together due to being challenge threats. Each pair seems to have one player who is more aggressive strategically than the other (Luke, Janine, Harry) and one who is making more quiet moves to try and advance (Abbey, Pia, and Baden). Since Luke and Abbey are the only ones who have worked successfully with everybody remaining, they have the power to choose which side to join with.

I’m going to take a moment here to question why Baden and Harry decided to take their plan to Janine and Pia before Immunity was finalised. Approaching someone in a time of peace, as opposed to the heated time between Immunity and Tribal Council, provides some credence to your move rather than it seeming like an act of desperation as you scramble to stay safe. However, by approaching Janine prior to the challenge, she now has ammunition to use as she tries to win Abbey and Luke’s votes. She does this almost immediately, and it has the intended effect—Luke and Abbey are unsure about who they can trust.

On the one hand, Abbey believes that Baden had concocted a plan to get Luke out. Even though he was simply the messenger for Harry’s plan, Baden is getting all the heat for a move that never happened. On the other side, Janine is always a threat since she’s had influence in the game and survived despite her ever-growing target. Both groups think they have Luke and Abbey on their side. Tribal Council conversation even leaves off with Luke saying nobody should be surprised by the outcome, even though clearly at least two people will be blindsided.

At the end of the day (or night), it seems like the Godmother just couldn’t outrun the votes any longer. To me, Janine was instantly recognisable among a cast of celebrities, and I immediately pinned her as someone with great intelligence and perseverance that could really shake up the game. With her constant quotes about how Survivor is just like the business world, Janine just couldn’t pull out the deal on this one and is going to commiserate over some delicious fruit-based smoothies at Jury Villa. I’ll miss her ability to keep her cool in chaos and her seat at the top of the dominant ladies alliance with Abbey and Pia.

Speaking of Pia, she’s a little bit left in the lurch, but I think losing her closest ally will make her more of someone to be worked with rather than the next target. Pia’s likeability has been remarked upon by various castaways and seems matched only by Luke. This could serve her well as the game and the journey to find the Sole Survivor continues. For my sanity, just please don’t let it be Harry.

]]>Well, I wanted a front-runner to be blindsided this week, but you know what they say about asking for things? Be careful what you wish for. And you know what else they say? The best way to give someone what they want is to give it to them in the worst possible way. Okay, so what actually happened wasn’t the worst possible outcome because the plan I wantedto happen was off the table halfway through the episode, but what actually happened was still a waking nightmare that made me question why I ever believed this post-merge could be salvaged in the first place.

With Mike gone, the women know it’s time to strike. Nicole, Steffi, and Laetitia solidify their plan to oust Rob with his idol at the next Tribal Council and agree to keep it out of Durao’s ears. I said it last time, and I’ll say it again: the plan’s on a need to know basis and Durao doesn’t need to know. Nicole also reveals her idol to Laetitia, who says there are too many idols. Thank you, Tannie Laetitia! Finally, someone says it. There’s no way that line makes it into a US episode, so I’m thrilled to hear someone call out the idol surplus for once. Production should listen to her. Listen to your elders, producers! She’s right. There aretoo many idols in the game, and they’re about to see why it can be a horrible, horrible thing.

The Reward Challenge is nothing spectacular. It’s the classic “balance something heavy on an increasingly tall pole” challenge from the original Survivor: Samoa. Rob wins again and decides to take Nicole with him on a picnic date on Manono Island, which gave me One World flashbacks just from hearing that cursed name. If that wasn’t a bad omen, I don’t know what is. He also gets to send someone to the Island of Secrets and picks Laetitia because she’s never been there, which annoys a hungry Steffi who has to sit around camp with Durao for the rest of the day, unable to talk strategy. They do bond over killing and eating a chicken though, so if anything, they gained some newfound friendship out the ordeal that could help at the Final Tribal Council.

I actually really enjoyed this reward because it had super-sized hot dogs and giant bats flying around everywhere, and those are two things I love dearly. I swear, it’s cooler than I’m making it sound. But the real kicker here is the conversation between Rob and Nicole. Rob’s proud to be hanging onto the dream of an Amigos final three but has a little moment of melancholy when he thinks about how awesome it could have been to have Nathan out there with them to see it happen. Gee, I wonder whose fault thatwas? If only there was someone you could blame for Nathan’s sudden and preventable departure? It’s a real mystery, huh?

To protect herself, Nicole tells Rob that she revealed her idol to Laetitia the previous night out of fear that Rob overheard her conversation. My heart sank, but I was quickly relieved when she omitted the part about blindsiding Rob and pushed to have an idol-free final five Tribal. Her case: pulling out the idols in the final three would show how strong of a game they played and how much trust they had in their alliance. Or in short: bragging in front of the jury. And for a minute, it seems to weigh heavily on Rob’s mind. It does make sense. The man’s been all about trust since day one, so this hits home and opens that backdoor for a blindside. It wasn’t the pitch I would have made, but I don’t know Rob like Nicole does, and she knows him very well, so good on her for working towards the plan instead of ruining it!

Then we get a very foreboding confessional from Rob. He says he doesn’t want the money, as he’s already been rewarded in his heart for the game he played and wants Nicole to be the winner of the season because she “deserves” it. Can you imagine the ending where Rob and Nicole sit at the end, and Rob just gives up? It’s even more ridiculous than him going home with an idol at the final five. It’s a choice that would break a thousand hearts; hearts that desperately want the “best” player to win this game after dominating like nobody ever has. The jury has stressed the importance of owning your game on Day 39, and if Rob doesn’t own it out of fear that he wouldwin, suddenly the game is wide open. Nicole’s despised by the jury, but if it comes down to her, a man who can’t own his game, and a person with no game to discuss, she might actually have a path to the million. What a crazy world.

This week’s IOS visit sees Laetitia find another piece of magic jewelry: the vote nullifier. An idol nullifier would have been more useful here, but what’s cool about this little toy is that you can use it at the final four. And by cool, I mean totally broken because there can’t be a fire-making challenge, which means Rob the fire master can’t force a tie to save himself if he loses Immunity. But on the bright side, there’s no forced fire-making twist, Halle-freaking-lujah! With the adoption of the new Final Tribal format and other modern twists into Survivor SA canon, I was seriously worried they’d aim to recreate US Survivor to the finest detail, but the producers know what works and what doesn’t and thankfully avoided opening that can of worms. Thanks for watching out for us, producers! Except for the part where you threw this OP nullifier into the game right at the end. That’s a pretty sizable blemish.

The Immunity Challenge is the turnstile maze from Cagayan with the three-layer puzzle tower from Kaoh Rong at the end. One is cursed by a horrible endgame decision, and the other is blessed by a clutch Immunity win by the eventual champion. Which direction will this challenge swing? Possibly both, because Rob wins effortlessly and kills any chance of that big blindside happening yet again. It’s so anticlimactic that Nico upstages his win by praising Laetitia’s cardio endurance, which I really appreciate because Laetitia deserves to have some kind words thrown her way after her lackluster her edit. But with this win, it’s Rob’s fourth necklace, so anyone who wants to say he hasn’t played well physically is clearly not watching the season. Now he’s within one necklace of tying the US record of five wins, but just because you win five Immunities doesn’t mean you’ve won the game. Brad Culpepper, Ozzy, Colby, one specific SA runner-up I won’t spoil: all names that come to mind when you think about huge challenge beasts who lost at the end. Could we see another name join that list?

With Rob immune, the women regroup and decide to go with Rob to vote Durao out. It sucks, but it has to happen. There’s still one more chance at the final four, so there’s hope. They all pull Rob aside and get him to shake on the plan to hold onto their idols, with the added bonus that Rob will put his idol around Steffi’s neck before the votes are read. Laetitia is pressured to reveal what she got on IOS, but she says the trip was a big fat goose egg and leaves it at that. And this is where things took a turn for the grisly. Laetitia only tells Steffi what she really found out there, leaving Nicole feeling suspicious about trusting Laetitia moving forward. While Steffi and Laetitia plot to control the final four vote with that nullifier, which would guarantee Rob or Nicole go home without a chance to make fire, Nicole runs to Rob and spoils everything.

Seriously, I mean EVERYTHING. Steffi’s plan? Ruined. Laetitia’s game? Blown up. All the work the three women put into the plan? Lost at sea without a life jacket. And allbecause Laetitia wanted to keep a secret to herself and told an obvious lie. Of course, there’s going to be something on the Island of Secrets! It’s the final five, one of the most crucial votes of the game. Why wouldn’t there be some kind of power out there? And if she wanted to lie, why not just say she got to practice that tower puzzle ahead of time? That would make sense because there have many many challenge advantages in the past. But alas, Nicole spills the beans and everything goes down in flames.

Do you know what the most agonizing part about this scene is? Nicole’s dedication to justifying this move as if she’s advancing feminism itself by doing Rob’s bidding. She thinks Rob’s the biggest feminist in the game because he took strong women along with him (Seipei would like to have a word about that) and didn’t take the easy road (he definitely did given the massive steamroll he accomplished). According to Nicole, a real powerful woman would honor the men who help them get to those high places. Steffi? Just some conniving gamer. Rob? A real hero who deserves to be adored!

Nicole? Seriously, I don’t want to hear any more of this “collaborator” stuff. She’s a puppet. She couldn’t even make it one day without running back to Rob and spoiling everything. Is this some form of Stockholm Syndrome where Nicole’s fallen in love with her captor? Because that’s what it feels like to me. As soon as she was separated from Rob at the second swap, she went off the rails and cut Nathan’s throat. But when she saw Rob again, she hurried back to his side and prayed for forgiveness as if he could strike her down with lightning on the spot like a Zulu Zeus. And given that Rob thinks he’s a God according to Geoffrey, that’s a pretty apt comparison to make.

After learning of the blindside, Rob pulls the strings on Durao and gets him to vote for Steffi alongside Nicole, while Rob plans to vote for Laetitia just so both “traitors” are in danger at Tribal Council. It’s a pointless split, but it sends a message. And with that, everyone heads to Tribal for the big showdown. I was just praying for the jury to save this episode with some more amazing reactions because Geoffrey’s color commentary has given me so much life this season and the inevitable trashing the finalists will get is more exciting than anything that’s happened on that cursed island in weeks.

I almost had to watch Tribal through my fingers because I knew what was coming. They didn’t let any suspense dangle in the air whatsoever. Rob teased the blindside with an allusion to the Greek myth of Icarus, the boy whose vaulting ambitions to fly higher and higher melted his wax wings and sent him plummeting into the Aegean Sea to his death. Applied to Durao it makes absolutely no sense, but for Steffi, the pieces click together. And speaking of pieces clicking together, the votes are cast, and it’s finally idol-geddon time. The three idols make their big debuts and Nicole takes center stage holding both her piece and Nathan’s in her hands. Then we get the big speech of the night, the one that’s supposed to knock all our socks off and shut us all the hell up with its brilliance.

Nicole is going to play the idol for Durao. Why? Because Nathan’s piece of the idol should belong to strong, courageous men, of course! Not slimy players like Steffi who don’t push for true female empowerment! Yeah, you tell ’em, Nicole! Show those men who are boss by… enabling them to beat you while looking like a total puppet in front of the jury once again. Seriously, watch that Tribal back, and you can actually see the puppet strings coming out of Nicole’s hands when she gives Durao the idol.

You know what else infuriates me about this? The way Nicole says, “You betrayed the Amigos!” to Steffi as she’s automatically eliminated by an idol apocalypse. Uh, didn’t you betray the Amigos first, Nicole? You know, when you killed Nathan’s hopes of winning and told him to go change the world? Remember that? I certainly do, and I’m sure the jury remembers too. Retribution is coming, Nicole. I hope she’s ready for a brutal tongue lashing because even if by some act of the Survivor Gods she actually wins this thing, she won’t get the title without taking a serious verbal beatdown.

Steffi is now gone. All that speculation about her infamous “Nobody remembers second or third place” quote was ultimately a big waste of time. I originally thought it was ironic and locked her into a losing finalist spot, but when she started to plot against Rob, I realized it could just as easily be interpreted as the first winner quote of the season. But as it turns out, it was a meaningless red herring because she didn’t even make the finale. While I wipe this egg off my face, let’s eulogize Steffi, because her journey was polarizing, to say the least.

I didn’t think much of Steffi when she first stepped onto that beach, figuring her standoffish personality would eventually end her game early. But when the season needed her the most, she blossomed into a strategic player who had the biggest threat in the game on the ropes without him even knowing it. Despite her efforts yielding no real rewards in the game, thanks to her allies failing her when she needed them most, I greatly appreciated watching her learn to play harder and ditch the motto of trust and loyalty near the end. I’m still on the fence with her because of how hypocritical and arrogant she was at times, particularly during the Mother-Jacquer fiasco, but she won me over across these past three episodes, and I think she added more to this season than she took away.

The last hope of usurping Rob has been extinguished, and it looks like Rob will go the final three with an extensive resume and only an angry jury in his way. However, there is one piece of the puzzle he doesn’t know about: Laetitia’s broken vote nullifier. If she can pull Durao in and work with him at the final four, they’re guaranteed two spots in the final three and can take down whichever Amigo doesn’t win Immunity. That’s the obvious move, and they need to take it. But clueless Durao could predictably run back to Rob and Nicole for saving him and take Laetitia out, which is honestly what I’m preparing myself for because it’s what this post-merge deserves.

For Laetitia, the final immunity challenge could be her saving grace, because we all remember what Cirie once said about The Ball Drop: a nurse with steady hands has the innate advantage. Laetitia’s a nurse, and if there’s a challenge she can win, it’s this one. Plus this challenge does have a history of robbing great final jurors of their easy wins, so Rob could join Malcolm and Cirie if he loses focus for even a second. I’m expecting a Rob win though, even if he doesn’t want the title or the cash. I don’t think the jury will let him give it up to someone like Nicole, Durao, or Laetitia unless Rob actually gets up and walks off the set that night.

Now, let’s size up this final four. One of these players will walk away with the money next Thursday, so let’s remind ourselves who is in the running, where they started, and how they need to play in order to win.

Rob Bentele

“I do trust easily, and I think that could be a weakness of mine. So I’m hoping I trust the right people.”

When it comes to trust, so far, so good. In my very first recap, I wrote that bondswould be a driving factor in determining the winner of this game. From what I’ve seen, Rob has feasted off his bonds to get stronger and propel himself to the finale, outwitting all possible coups from people inside and outside his “senior management” crew. He’s won a ton of challenges, played an idol, controlled the entire post-merge, and now his only obstacle is the jury he molded with his own hands. That’s where things get tricky—if he even wants to win any more.

Common sense would say he’d win in a landslide no matter who he sits next to because his strategic game has been world-class, but his jury management could be his ultimate downfall. His cockiness has soured a lot of jurors and even people like Mike, who should appreciate his success, have their qualms with the Robfather. That being said, his goal in the finale should be to keep Durao and Nicole from siding with Laetitia, or that new nullifier could majorly screw him over.

Nicole Capper

“Beauty is not about clothes and makeup. Mostly, it’s about imperfection, and that’s what Survivor’s all about. I’m here to be the bravest version of myself.”

“Imperfection” is the perfectterm to describe Nicole’s game. She’s played a brilliant social game and had everyone convinced she was on their side, and her ability to lie right to someone’s face even tricked Rob. Her recovery after the Nathan blunder showed how adaptable she is as well, and with some solid moves, and the most recent blindside of Steffi under her belt, she’s got a strong case to make. But we all know why she’ll struggle in the final three: the jury.

This just hates Nicole. She comes across as fake and pandering one minute and arrogantly self-righteous the next. She (along with Rob) said the jury comes last. She has to find a moral reason for every move she makes instead of just owning them as her strategy. Every Tribal for the last few weeks has featured a segment about someone loathing Nicole’s guts and loudly saying so. I’d typically rule this type of person out as a winner on the spot because we all know otherwise good players can shoot themselves in the foot by not owning their games. I’m afraid Nicole won’t be able to own her game do when the time comes—mostly out of fear of damaging her “brand.” But with Rob willing to forfeit the title to her and nobody else having a solid case to make, perhaps the unthinkable is now possible, and we’ve all been snowed for the last several episodes.

Laetitia Le Roux

“I’m a mom of five, I’ve got four grandchildren, so people may look at me, think that I’m too old. I will prove to you that I can be just as hard and cruel and do my best as what they can do.”

Aside from finding an idol at the final seven, Laetitia hasn’t lived up to her promise to play hard and cruel. She’s a nice woman, but she’s done next to nothing in the game and only made it to the merge by winning tribal Immunity seven times. And when she did make the merge, she promptly asked to be voted out over failing miserably in a Reward Challenge. I respect her ability to stick it out and endure for this long without quitting, especially with that hurt leg, but that only gets her so far with the jury. S

She missed the one chance to make a move with her idol and blabbed about it after telling herself she wouldn’t, but the nullifier, as broken and unfair as it could be, has given her that second chance to impress the jury… and she can’t waste it. If she does, it’s game over. Laetitia needs to gun for Rob as openly as possible, get Durao or Nicole on her side with a good argument, and take him out at the final four in front of the jury. And if she can put her steady hands to use and win the last challenge, after being written off for the previous 37 days, it’s just icing on the cake. This is the last chance she has to earn some respect, so she better put up the fight of her life and go balls to the wall.

Durao Mariano

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Durao was the only person in the finale to not be introduced in the premiere. Or the first three episodes. He said a total of six sentences before the swap and the first time he did anything on screen was when he solely bombed a challenge and couldn’t act to save his life. How he managed to get to the finale is quite clear (he was dragged by Rob), but he’s got a 1 in 4 shot at the million, so he did better than 17 others. His biggest obstacle will be presenting a win-worthy game to the jury because everyone knows Durao has been out of the loop all season.

Hell, the jury was openly laughing at him and his clueless remarks about idols. He’s the court jester… the clown you rent for your kid’s birthday party… the guy you go to for some quick jokes and nothing serious. But in a finale where none of the finalists are really appealing to the jury, some funny jokes and a big heart could be all he needs to pull off an upset victory against better players. However, he needs to work with Laetitia and use that nullifier. It’s his only move left, and if the jury values his brand of goofy likability, they might find him worthy as a champion after all.

One episode remains. One of these four is just a few days away from being crowned the winner. It’s not the four I expected to see here, but it’s a developed and unique group of finalists who each went through a lot to get to the end. Regardless of who walks away with the title and the million Rand, it’s going to be a compelling finale—if only to see the jury finally unleash their fury. It’s been a long ride since May, but this story’s nearing its final chapter and I’m excited to see the conclusion. Will it be predictable but understandably satisfying? Or will it be the ultimate twist ending and throw the fan-base for a loop? It can only be one or the other, and as a fan of chaos, I’m tempted to root for the latter.

]]>While the battle between Champions and Contenders is playing out on the islands of Fiji, here on Inside Survivor, an even bigger showdown is taking place. That’s right, Aussie Power Rankings are back, as Fenella McGowan, Tess O’Halloran and Martin Holmes compete for the Inside Survivor Power Rankings crown!

Round 6 is in the books and as always, Tess comes out on top, now leading with 180 points overall. Martin remains in second place, racking up 170 points, but Fenella is now only one point behind on 169 points. Will there be any changes as we head into the final stretch?

RULES

We use the Gordon Holmes format of Power Rankings. Each week the three power rankers create separate rankings based on least likely to most likely to be eliminated. The ranking of the player who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the rankers will earn. For example, if the person you ranked in 1st place is eliminated in the next episode, you will recieve 1 point. If the person you ranked in 20th place is eliminated, you will receive 20 points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the Australian Survivor Power Rankings Champion.

As Australian Survivor airs multiple episodes per week, the rankings will count for each episode aired that particular week.

If you have trouble viewing the rankings try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

]]>Another week passes by, and another episode of Survivor South Africa ends exactly like you’d expect it to. Within the first 15 minutes, you could figure out what was going to happen, and hardly anything came as a surprise until Tribal Council. That’s when some games went up in flames and chaos took center stage for the first time in what’s felt like months. That being said, I still liked the overall package despite the down-time. I’m not normally a fan of family visit episodes, but this was one of the most well done editions I’ve seen in a while.

Once again, Rob returns to camp and tries to convince the person he just betrayed that they’re still good moving forward. In this case, it’s Stone Cold Steffi Brink, who just had her name thrown out as the split vote. Ironically, Rob truly meant what he said. All he wanted to do was protect his alliance by limiting the number of targets. Steffi had to be the one in the firing line to make sure the plan went through without any trouble. But Steffi’s done. Done with Rob’s antics. Done with taking his orders. Done with bowing down to him as the boss. Done with Rob in general. Now it’s time for what she calls the Silent War. She won’t gun for him openly because he still has the idol and could swing the votes to get rid of her if she makes it obvious, but she’s ready to plant the seeds for his elimination and strike when the time is right.

Unfortunately for the viewers, the “right time” ends up being delayed and might have to wait until the finale, but I appreciate Steffi’s determination here. I once wrote Steffi off as this strict, no-nonsense athlete with no intentions of actually playing the game at a highly strategic level; someone who would fall back on honor and integrity instead of making the moves necessary to win the million. But she’s really come alive these past two episodes and won me over. Now she just needs to make the move happen, and given the amount of moves that were hyped up and ultimately failed this season, we’re not out of the woods yet. A lot can go south with Steffi’s plan, but I still have hope that she can be the one to lead this shake up.

The Immunity Challenge comes early and with a bonus reward: love. That’s right, it’s loved ones week here on Survivor SA, and I have to say, loved ones visits are always better when you get to know the players well. Something the US seasons have struggled with is having family visits with a lot of underdeveloped players left in the game. Why should I care if that random purple player has their sister on the island? Who even is she? But with this final six, I feel like I have a genuine connection to each of them. Even Laetitia, the most under the radar player on the show, feels like a legitimate human being I’ve known for months, warts and all. We’ve watched these players grow and evolve from their little cast bios into fully realized TV characters, and it makes the family visit so much more rewarding as a viewing experience.

Nicole’s boyfriend, Laetitia’s daughter, Rob’s mother, Steffi’s best friend (and potential savior of the season), Durao’s mother, and Mike’s dad arrive in Samoa. Somewhere out there, Jacques’ wife is sitting in a room alone, and the thought of it kills me. Anyways, the challenge is played in pairs by castaways and their loved ones. Most of the loved ones struggle to untie the knots in the first phase, but Rob and Laetitia get an early lead. Unfortunately, Laetitia’s not a great thrower and ends up nearly hitting Nico instead of the targets, allowing Rob to breeze past the competition to an easy Immunity win. As the necklace goes around his neck, any hopes of Steffi taking him out this week die a quick death.

But because it’s a Reward challenge as well, Rob gets to select two people to go back to camp with their loved ones while the other three players say goodbye and spend the rest of the day on the Island of Secrets. I’ve always said to never win the loved ones challenge if you can help it. Rob definitely needed protection, even if he didn’t realize it, but there’s always a risk involved when it comes to winning this specific challenge because it’s so easy to break hearts regardless of who you pick.

Rob’s first pick is Laetitia, and the reasoning behind it is unintentionally hilarious. Strategically, he wants to isolate Mike and Durao and has to take two women on the reward. But he wants Mike and Durao to think he’s still got their back, so he needs to come up with some other reason for his picks. And so for Laetitia, he gives this long spiel about how poor, old Laetitia might not have much time left to live or get a chance to hang out with her family on a tropical island again. It sounds sweet at first, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it became. Rob basically handled her like a Make-a-Wish grandma who just wanted to do this one special thing before she died, but… she’s not that old. She’s 58. You’d think she’d be on her death bed with that speech Rob gave, but nope, she’s fine.

The Robfather also takes Steffi back to camp, with the story this time being “She’s hungry.” I, for one, love this ridiculous characterization of Steffi as a bottomless pit that craves protein no matter how many times she gets a food reward. She just went to the Island of Secrets twice in a row and got fed a feast both times, so to say she’s starving for a good meal is a little ridiculous. But again, these are purely strategic picks, and Rob had to find a good cover story. The tribe doesn’t like the Steffi pick though, and that’s when cracks start to form in Rob’s plan.

Nicole has the biggest reaction when she breaks into tears. Even though she knew what was coming, thanks to Rob explaining the plan beforehand, it didn’t make it hurt any less. Having to part from her boyfriend and not hear anything about her children back home kills her. It’s by far the most emotional she’s been so far, and I really felt for her, especially because she knew there was nothing she could do to stop Rob from moving ahead with the agreement. She just had to live with it and understand it’s what was best for the Amigos. Or was it best for Rob? I’d go with the latter. But her boyfriend tells her to play hard and play to win. Thanks, man. She needed that kind of advice. Now, whether or not she’ll followit is another question, but it’s a start.

This episode sees the return of a twist from last season, where the cast is split into groups and aren’t allowed to talk game with the others until meeting at Tribal Council. On the one hand, it’s an excellent way to encourage a more lively discussion at Tribal. But on the other hand, it stops any kind of plan from forming against the majority, unless a very unique split happens. That’s not to say there was much of a chance of a big flip happening once Rob won Immunity and dictated the rest of the day, but if all six people were on the same beach for more than the pre-challenge period, there’s always the slim chance of the game going a different way.

On the Island of Secrets, Mike pitches the idea of blindsiding Steffi to Nicole, assuming Rob is bound to keep his promise from the day before and let the Laumei guys make the final five. I’ve always wondered why Nicole was told about so many plans when she seemed like an obvious member of Rob’s court, but after watching some Ponderosa videos and reading exit interviews, it’s become clear that Nicole is playing an incredible double agent game, tricking everyone into thinking she is a crucial number for any outsiders. It’s why Mike thought of her as a valuable ally for several votes when she had no intentions of working with him, and I think Nicole deserves some credit here. She’s clearly outwitting and outplaying those on the bottom and keeping them powerless for her own benefit. However, the jury’s intense hatred of her neutralizes all her good work. Whether they hate her for not making a move, giving obnoxiously repetitive answers at Tribal, or coming across as less genuine than others, she’s doing something wrong, and it’s doomed her to a likely runner-up spot unless we as viewers are getting majorly misted by the editing team yet again.

As for Nicole’s performance this week, it’s… a mixed bag. I really enjoyed the more emotional side of Nicole we got to see. Being forced to give up hearing about your children for the sake of maintaining your alliance’s power has to be one of the hardest things to go through on Survivor, and for a while, I wondered if the devastation could be enough to encourage her to flip. Spoiler alert: it isn’t. She went through the wringer, but after all is said and done, she understands why she was put in such a depressing position and stays her course with Rob and the Amigos, leaving Mike and Durao in the dark.

But because the editors love to mess with her, they include one of the more infuriating Nicole confessionals I can remember. With a sly grin, she assures us that she’s not Rob’s puppet. She’s simply, as she puts it, a “collaborator.” While it may be true from her perspective, it certainly doesn’t look like that from mine or the jury’s. The man ripped her boyfriend and news about her kids away from her, caused her to have a meltdown on IOS and at Tribal, and she still went back to him while getting no benefits out of the situation. And she was happy about it. It’s like an employee thinking their boss is just some co-worker. Sure, they’re operating in the same business and aiming for the same goals, but Rob’s getting paid handsomely (from an editing perspective at least) while Nicole’s picking up the scraps he leaves behind.

Back at camp, Rob, Steffi, and Laetitia return with their loved ones and enjoy a refreshing South African braai as if they never left South Africa. It’s so exciting that Laetitia suddenly reveals her idol before the food’s even cooked. Let’s just stop here and talk about how Laetitia didn’t even make it 24 hours after saying she’d never tell anyone about her idol. While she didn’t need to flush it by Rob’s decree, obviously because that idol is in some hands he trusts and flushing it could allow Durao to find it the next day, it’s clear that nobody in this game can keep any advantage a secret. If there’s an idol in this season, at least two people will end up knowing by the next day.

But seriously, Laetitia spoiling her idol removes almost all her chips from the table when it comes to making a huge move. The jury needs to see her do something significant with that key to unlock her path to the win, but it looks like that window has been slammed shut and locked up for good. And now Rob has more information to work with—as if he needed any more. That’s all I have to say about this move. It’s bad. But on a side note, I did chuckle at Steffi scolding Laetitia for telling people about her idol just a few episodes after scolding Jacques for not telling anyone about his. Hey, I’m pretty much desensitized to the hypocrisy at this point. I’m just along for the ride now.

Speaking of Steffi, she decides to reveal that her story about getting a bowl of rice on IOS was a big lie. Her excuse: she got to know the family visit was coming up but didn’t want to spoil the surprise for everyone. Honestly? It’s not a bad lie. It covers her just in case Gina gives it away, or Rob is feeling suspicious (and judging by his reaction to Steffi’s lack of excitement over seeing Gina, he might have been on to something). But I don’t get why she didn’t just say she got to spend time with Gina in the first place, because it sounded like Steffi framed it like she got a clue, not the actual loved one. Nobody seems to push any questions on her after the fact, so I’d call it a decent recovery.

The reward scene is a tale of two schemes. Rob brags to his mother about how safe he feels even without Immunity while Laetitia and Steffi brainstorm the rest of their games. The two women start with Mike’s easy elimination, before knocking Rob off his throne at the next vote, and ending the game with a comfortable Durao boot. As Laetitia says, the ideal ending is “Beauty Queen, Beauty Queen, Granny” for the women, and Rob has no clue about it. And what’s best is nobody else knows either. Mike and Durao? Don’t tell them. They’ll find a way to run back to Rob with that juicy info, and everything will go up in flames. Nicole? She’s someone I’d be afraid to tell thanks to her undying loyalty to Rob, but after her emotional episode, she could be turned if you hit her with the info at the right time. As far as this plan is concerned, it should be on a need to know basis. And only three people in this game need to know.

As Tribal commences, I don’t expect much. Mike’s going home, and nothing can really stand in the way of that. But what transpires is the best Tribal of the season, thanks to Nicole’s sudden outburst and Rob’s slightly waning trust in his close ally. Nicole snaps and says it has been the worst day of her life—taking all that built-up frustration out on Rob in a flaming fall from grace. It might have actually helped her reputation with jury because she appeared to be 100% genuine at Tribal for once. But it’s like trying to jump-start a car after it sat at the bottom of the ocean for a month. Whatever Nicole gains for her authenticity can’t compete with the utter trashing she’s received since the merge, and again, I’m sad about it because, on paper, she’s played a good game. She’s just missing some important pieces.

This blow-up ultimately leads to Rob asking her if she’s still on board with the plan and the term “day one bonds” comes up. And then all hell broke loose. It starts a chain reaction that exposes the Amigos and shows Mike the game he thought he was playing for the last few weeks had been a big, fat, juicy lie. But Mike can really do is laugh. No tears, no anger, no meltdowns. Just a smile and a chuckle, plus with witty banter with Durao, who needs to be coached through the whole ordeal like a struggling math student in high school. Apparently, Durao thought “day one bonds” between Rob and Nicole meant… something other than the original Sa’ula Tribe. I have no idea what he was thinking, and I still don’t know because he just kind of threw his hands in the air and went right back to the Amigo cult, thinking it was easier to trust them anyways and hope it works out.

This is what I’ve been talking about when it comes to Durao. He’s a great character, but hilariously awful when it comes to the strategic game. And yet the jury doesn’t really seem to hate him. They definitely don’t take him seriously, but they’re finding it hard to dislike him despite his lackluster game in the presence of such a dominant force like the Amigos. Chalk that up to his wholesome nature, and chalk up the random timeline where he actually wins this season to it as well.

Then we have Mike, voted out after a futile last stand. He teased big moves all season and never made any, which has earned him some ire from the fans I don’t think he wholly deserves. Do I have issues with his game? Oh yeah, definitely. He waited too long to make the right moves and failed to read the situation with Durao and Nicole: a virtual one-two knockout punch to his chances. But Mike had the tenacity and the connections to win if the game fell in his favor earlier on and the Amigos didn’t have total control at the merge.

Let’s give Mike some credit here: he’s a 21-year-old guy who managed to become the biggest jury threat from the halfway point and came within a couple Tribals of a guaranteed win. For someone his age, that’s pretty incredible. A lot of past players talk about refusing to give the money to someone his age, but Mike overcame that obstacle and played a great if very flawed game. But what I’m taking away from Mike’s time on Survivor above all else is his wholesome spirit and desire to do good while playing a cutthroat strategic game. He might have been too nice for the game, but in a world full of unpleasant darkness, his respectable humanity is really lovely to have around on our screens. Like he said, it pays to be nice. Be like Mike.

With Mike gone and the jury left with five people they don’t like, we’re getting down to the crucial votes. All two of them. Common sense would say Durao’s either leaving 4-1 or getting eliminated by default when those idols get played. Seems pretty cut and dry. However, and this is a big HOWEVER, Rob isn’t totally safe yet. “But he has an idol at the final five?!” says the confused viewer. “He’s guaranteed a spot in the final four no matter what!” Well, according to the previews, the women will try to convince him not to play his idol. Not just Steffi and Laetitia, but Nicole as well. And let me stop you right there, I know what you’re thinking. There’s no way Rob will fall for it. He’s not that dumb, and anyone expecting anything different than Rob idoling himself into the finale will be disappointed. And besides, what kind of pitch would actually work? Well, let me explain the one I think could stop Rob from playing that idol.

Basically, the three women need to make sure Durao loses Immunity, which shouldn’t be that hard. Then they need to make sure Rob doesn’t win Immunity, which could be a little more difficult. From there, they need to pitch to Rob that playing all their idols and defaulting Durao out of the game would be immoral. They have to make it look like that result would be too cruel and unfair to someone that sweet and innocent; that Durao deserves a proper Survivor send off via being voted out like everyone else. After all, the resounding vibe of this majority alliance has been for the longest time “morality, honor, integrity,” and it’s entirely in character for Nicole and Steffi to make that case.

There’s enough trust there, at least from a viewer’s perspective, to make Rob at least consider this plan, especially if he’s worried about Durao’s jury vote. He can clearly see the jury isn’t a fan of his, and according to Jacques’ Ponderosa, he’s probably losing unless someone like Mike explains his game in a really positive way from inside the jury (and Mike didn’t completely vouch for Rob in his own Ponderosa by the way). So giving Durao a decent exit and being merciful could redeem his image. I still think it’s the absolute longest of long shots and asking him not to play that idol will most likely tip him off immediately, but it might be their only chance of taking Rob out before the final four where he’d only be one necklace away from totally shutting down the last possible big move of the game and waltzing into the finals with a nearly complete Survivor checklist.

Oh, and Durao still has that fake idol, aka the one-time idol that died pre-merge. People on the jury know it exists, so the people in the game probably do as well, but if for some reason it’s still an unknown entity to the Amigos and Laetitia, he could pull a bluff with it. You know, if he can actually tell a convincing lie about having an idol. I’m not getting any hopes up about that though.

And that’s it for the final six. With the last two episodes approaching, the final three is in sight, and the win is still very much up in the air. The jury doesn’t straight up likeanyone left, so it will be a competition to see who’s the best of the worst. There’s only so much that can be done in the last four days to win over the jury, and it looks like whoever takes Rob down or at least gets the credit for it, would be the most likely winner. And if he escapes defeat and makes the final three… does he even win? It’s a good question, and I don’t think anyone has an answer. It all comes down to whether or not the jury has been poisoned against Rob beyond repair and we get a “vote against” jury. Regardless, the season has finally become interesting as a game once again. I’m peeved it took so long, but better late than never.

]]>When I first noticed that this episode was only an hour-long (70 minutes to be exact), I was initially concerned that the show wasn’t going to be able to fit in all the important content needed to tell a coherent and engaging narrative. We had a Redemption Island-style challenge and elimination to complete, an Immunity Challenge and a second elimination at Tribal Council—as well as all the strategy that surrounded it! You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that the episode wouldn’t be able to sufficiently tell much of a story.

Irrespective of the unfortunate result, which ended in the revolving door treatment of Simon Black (someone arguably more inanimate than a revolving door itself), the episode slowly convinced me that there could be another flip in the works to vote out Abbey. Turns out, it was driven more by hope than there being any actual possibility of the vote going a different way.

The episode begins with Daisy and Simon meeting at Exile Beach the night before the return duel. They both have a fire in their belly that is fuelled by revenge. Both have an axe to grind and hope to make waves in the competition if they’re the one to re-enter the game. Going into the challenge, Daisy has the gift of an underdog story. She tells us that as a country girl, she has had to endure and live through several droughts which will give her the strength to pull through and win. Simon, on the other hand, got blindsided… and that’s the extent of his story.

Standing between these contestants and their second chance is a challenge of dexterity requiring them to manoeuvre a long pole holding a disc through a puzzle before placing the disc on a platform that sits on top of the structure. It’s basically a more stressful and complicated puzzle version of the game Operation. Simon takes a more aggressive and less cautious approach out of the gate, whereas Daisy takes it slow and steady. Even though Simon gets out to a quick lead, Daisy catches up soon after. The challenge ebbs and flows as both competitor’s stacks topple over, forcing them to start over. In the end, it’s Simon who draws on his experience as a professional athlete and keeps his composure, taking home the win.

With Simon back in the game, Abbey and Luke now have to deal with interacting with the person they just blindsided the night before. Suddenly, the ghost of their past is presented in front of them. They now have to face up to the decisions they must make going forward. However, it’s Simon we’re talking about, and so, the show doesn’t depict any strategic conversations he might’ve had with any of the players.

You can feel the pain suffered by the editing team over at Survivor AU who had to go out of their way to dedicate part of the episode to Simon. There are very little strategic conversations from the AFL star, but we do get multiple confessionals relating to revenge and a brief montage detailing his search for a Hidden Immunity Idol. According to the episode, Simon’s strategy is to find an idol or win Immunity or hope that the target magically disappears from his back.

Speaking of which, going into the Immunity Challenge there is quite a lot on the line. With Simon being the easy vote if he doesn’t win, this challenge feels as if it carries more weight than usual. The winner of the challenge can very well alter and dictate who goes home depending on which alliance possesses the safety.

The challenge is the classic “place a series of blocks that spell Immunity while balancing it on a board” thingy. Abbey and Pia are in the lead for a large portion of it until they drop their blocks and have to start over. From that point onwards, it’s a showdown between Luke and Simon. In an incredibly close battle, Luke ends up victorious and makes sure the Immunity necklace belongs to the majority alliance of Harry, Baden, Abbey, and himself. The newly formed foursome can now keep the power away from the other three Champions. Had Janine, Pia or Simon won, it could’ve been enough of a foil to make the majority flip on each other. Luke, being as paranoid and unpredictable as he is, not being safe at this Tribal might have caused the alliance of four to implode.

With Luke having Immunity, let’s take a moment to evaluate where the game stands right now. There are three duos (Janine & Pia, Abbey & Luke, and Harry & Baden) with Simon on his lonesome. The dynamic after the challenge is tentative and cautiously optimistic from all players. If the voting blocs remain as they were from the previous episode, Pia and Janine are still outnumbered, even with Simon back in the game. Simon quickly recognises that he is firmly on the bottom of the tribe and continues searching for an idol (all the digging was because he found Luke’s old idol clue, which Luke had replanted, according to the King of the Jungle himself on Twitter).

Simon is angry and hurt because he was blindsided and wants to seek out his revenge on those who betrayed him. If Simon was savvy enough, he would be able to exploit his position as the only solo player in a game full of duos. But Simon is a stand-up guy with a reputation of being honest and loyal to a fault… cut-throat gameplay isn’t really his style. Theoretically, he is in a great position to bounce between alliances and be that significant “third wheel” that can be so crucial for a player. This is obviously a lot to ask from someone like Simon, but I still find it appropriate to point out the fact that the alternate path is there for him to take.

I digress, there is a secondary plan in the works that aims to scratch an itch that would be so satisfying to scratch. Revenge is a theme present through the episode and is particularly palpable after the Immunity Challenge. Janine throws out Abbey’s name as the target. We learn that Abbey is the person that Pia and Janine feel scorned by the most. They expected a flip from someone like Luke, who already has the reputation of being wily and devious. Abbey, on the other hand, is someone who once got tearful at the mere thought of writing down Simon’s name. In many ways, Pia and Janine have had to babysit and invest time in quelling Abbey’s emotional moments, which is why it hurts them so much more that she’s turned her back on them.

Flipping against her two closest allies (or at least not keeping them in the loop about voting Simon out) makes Abbey seem ungrateful to those who had her back for 40-odd days of the game and makes her decision feel more personal. Even though this is never explicitly said by Janine or Pia, we can come to this conclusion because we have seen this occur countless times throughout Survivor history with the most notable example being Dawn Meehan.

With that said, Pia and Janine proceed to try get the votes to eliminate Abbey. This involves making Abbey feel safe by being nice to her while trying to convince someone from the majority alliance to vote with them. We get the typical Pia edit which has occurred several times this season where we see her use her skills as an actress to be friendly and joke around with the person that is going home. This is epitomised through her “fake laughing.” Pia and Janine pitch their plan to Harry, which consists of appealing to his desire to make big moves. Janine works the conversation really well by telling Harry that he should believe her because she is a logical player and isn’t very emotional. Harry says in confessional that he really appreciates having different opportunities and believes it’s his best path to the end.

However, in the end, Simon gets eliminated by a unanimous vote, so there was no confusion or conflict in who to vote out. Pia and Janine obviously couldn’t persaude enough people to join their Abbey plan, so for now, it’s on the backburner. It appears that voting out Simon immediately after coming back in was an option that was just too easy and tempting to pass by. There was no real fight or attempt to scramble from Simon based on what we saw in the episode. He was an inoffensive and kind guy who seemed to really enjoy his experience out on the island.

With only six people remaining, we are really heading into the pointy end of the competition. It’s difficult to complain about anyone left in the game now, even Baden, someone who hasn’t done much strategically, is so charming and relatable without seeming inauthentic. With three pairs in the game, it is definitely going to be interesting to see if the dynamics change or if the alliance of four will stay strong!